Which of the words given in the brief document have you selected, and why?
Of the words, I selected ‘Division’. I chose this because I believed it had many meanings, both literal and ideological and therefore would give me a larger scope to work with in regards to my final project. As well as this, it was the word I had most stimuli for when asked to discuss in workshops.
What do you want to point your camera at?
After a large amount of thought, I want to point my camera at commercial buildings and architecture, whilst also having homeless people within the frame (As they will be the main focus of the photos) – showing a physical division between the rich and poor, but also to show the divide the homeless have from the rest of society as a whole, therefore making my final project act almost as a social commentary.
Why are you interested in this subject?
I am interested in this subject because I come from near a place that is stereotypically seen as ‘lower class’, and I therefore have seen many homeless in my local towns, however seeing them in cities such as Lincoln shows that they live in a much crueler place due to its sheer size and isolation they experience, therefore I would like to bring this issue to people’s attention through my photography.
What do you hope an audience will take from your images?
I hope my audience will understand the harsh life the homeless live, by physically juxtaposing them from their surroundings, as well as making them stand out. In turn, this will create a sense of sympathy for the subjects of my photos and therefore, hopefully, cause social change or aid to occur.
What areas of research are you considering to help deepen your understanding of the subject you have chosen?
I am hoping to research photographers who have taken portraits of sad people, or that have a sad tone to them in order to create a sense of mood, as well as practitioners that have taken photos of buildings in order to attempt to mirror their work in my own.
What practitioner(s) or visual resources would you consider to have influenced you? This not have to be photographic.
The most notable influence I have received are the government ads such as water-aid. This has influenced me as these adverts are very thought provoking and create a sense of sympathy for the subjects, making you want to help them. I would like to do something similar for the homeless people, through photography.
What support or equipment might you need to achieve your goals?
I will, of course, need a camera to achieve what I want to achieve. I will also need a wide angled lens as well as a lens with a large zoom, so I can take detailed photos of the homeless, without particularly provoking them by ‘sticking a camera in their face’, therefore respecting their privacy.